In the mattress industry, it is well known that in certain environments there is need to provide a mattress with a moisture barrier to prevent undesirable seeping or passing of fluid into lower portions of the mattress. In the case of an innerspring mattress, particularly in hospitals or other health care environments, there is a need to prevent water, urine, or other liquids from passing through the upholstered cover of the mattress and into the innerspring portion of the mattress. Once within the area of the innerspring portion of the mattress, fluids are difficult to remove and can cause undesirable effects.
Water-resistant materials, such as vinyl, have been used to provide moisture barriers. In certain designs, the moisture barrier is formed like a slip cover that may be slid over the mattress and secured by a zipper, buttons or other means. In other designs, the moisture barrier is a layer of material that is positioned under the upholstery layer but above the innercore, thereby providing a moisture barrier between the sleeping user and the innercore. But these barriers are difficult to sew or otherwise fasten within the mattress. Vinyl for instance tends to rip once it has been stitched or punctured. To address this problem, engineers and designers have developed improved materials and techniques for building mattresses. These improved materials maintain there shear strength even when stitched or otherwise punctured by a hog-ring, clip or other connector. One example of such a material is the material described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,624.
Although these moisture barriers can work well, they can present problems. Slip covers that provide removable upholstery tops often use zippers or some other attachment mechanism that secures the upholstery cover to the mattress core. Recent initiatives have placed restrictions and restraints on how mattresses can behave when exposed to an open flame. These attachment mechanisms, particularly zippers, can create a point of failure for an open flame test.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for materials and systems that can act as moisture barriers without causing the mattress to fail open flame compliance testing.